Circuit Description

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2007 Saturn Vue. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

The secondary heated oxygen sensor (HO2S) measures the oxygen content of the exhaust downstream of the three-way catalyst (TWC), so that the TWC efficiency is optimized. The powertrain control module (PCM) supplies a voltage near 450 mV between the HO2S signal circuit and the low reference circuit. The HO2S varies the voltage over a range from about 1,000 mV when the exhaust is rich, down through about 10 mV when the exhaust is lean.

The PCM monitors and stores the HO2S voltage information. The PCM evaluates the HO2S voltage samples in order to determine the amount of time that the HO2S voltage was out of range. The PCM compares the stored HO2S voltage samples taken within each sample period and determines if the majority of the samples are out of the operating range.

The PCM monitors the HO2S voltage for being fixed below a predetermined voltage. If the PCM detects the voltage is too low, this DTC sets.